Scout Executive’s Blog

With mixed emotions, I wanted to pass along the news to our New Birth of Freedom Council family that Scott Holbrook will be retiring as the ranger at Camp Tuckahoe on January 31, 2022.  Scott has served as the ranger at Tuckahoe since August 1999, and his skills, work ethic, and love of Scouting will...

Today, we said goodbye and best wishes in retirement to Deb Sweitzer, the New Birth of Freedom Council’s Accounting Specialist.  Not that she’s counting, but Deb shared that her tenure with the New Birth of Freedom Council and the York-Adams Area Council before that spanned 31 years, 8 months, and 22 days. Deb began her...

To our Scouting community: We are sad to report that a brush fire occurred at Camp Tuckahoe on Sunday evening while the property was vacant. We are immensely grateful for the quick response of area fire departments whose efforts contained the fire early Monday morning and saved all buildings from damage. As many of you...

It’s just beginning to feel like winter outside, but summer seems so much closer than seven months away when it comes to Camp Tuckahoe. Since the Executive Board unanimously decided on October 20 to close Tuckahoe indefinitely due to concerns over an unacceptable level of risk from falling trees caused by unseen root damage in...

With great sadness, we pause to remember and salute the life and volunteer Scouting career of Don Roseth, 91, former Council Commissioner and Executive Board member of the Keystone Area Council.  Don passed away on Tuesday, November 23. Don was a strong supporter of the Boy Scouts of America program for over 50 years. He...

The health and safety of our Scouts, leaders, and Scouting families is always our highest priority.  This focus has been at the forefront as we have sought to navigate the current COVID-19 pandemic safely.  Now, as we’ve been able to resume some Scouting activities, we face a new health and safety challenge – this time...

It is with profound sadness that we fondly remember the life and Scouting career of our friend and colleague Cathleen Jo Vujasin, the Council’s Fundraising Administrative Assistant and longest-tenured member of our support staff.  Cathy, 64, passed away at UPMC Pinnacle Community Osteopathic Hospital on Wednesday, September 9. Cathy first started her career with the...

It is with great sadness that we remember and salute the life and volunteer Scouting career of John Riggle, 72, former president of the York-Adams Area Council and the inaugural Council Commissioner of the New Birth of Freedom Council.  John passed away at his home in St. George, UT on Saturday, August 22. It was...

It is with great sadness that we remember and salute the life and Scouting career of Malcolm “Jack” F. Carr, Jr., 68, who died on Saturday, August 8, after a courageous battle with cancer. Jack served as Scout Executive of the former Keystone Area Council from 1999-2010 and he was the New Birth of Freedom...

In the 23 years since I became Scout Executive for the former York-Adams Area Council, I have enjoyed the privilege of getting to know and working with some of the most exceptional people in the community you could ever hope to meet.  One such person was Bob Kinsley, a member of the New Birth of...